Autumn Tour - September 2024
Tour Overview
This shorter tour incorporates the main highlights of the September tour. You will still have ample time to experience the passion, energy and sensuality of long Cuban days and hot Havana nights.
Learn, improve and practice your moves with your professional dance company trainers and impress the crowds as you dance the night away.
Make sure you have the energy for sightseeing – your tour includes a day trip to the stunning Las Terrazas National Park. There will also be ample time for shopping and experiencing some of Havana’s best restaurants.
Leave home a dance fan… and return an expert! So many of our students have come back for more after experiencing their first Cuban Dance Tour.
Day 1
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Bienvenido a Cuba! Welcome to Cuba! Complimentary airport pick up upon arrival to take you to your Casa Particulars. At night, we will have an informal catch up to meet the rest of the group and talk about the plans for the week to come. Details will be provided to you by your host family. |
Day 2
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At 9.00 am you will meet with the Havana Dance team who will take you on a familiarization tour of the local area including banks, internet and local shops. and if required, arrange a Cuban mobile phone. When we finish our walk, we will head to Parque Central where you will do a one hour vintage car city tour (included in your holiday) In the afternoon, we head to El Gran Palenque to experience Rumba at its best. It is here that the Conjunto Folkloric Nacional de Cuba hosts the weekly Sábado de la Rumba (two hours of rumba music and dance performances). Tonight is the official welcome Dinner in one of the fine restaurants in Havana Vieja (included in the tour) and for those with energy to burn a night out dancing. Optional Extra: City Tours - Horse and Carriage |
Day 3
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Morning is free for you to sleep in or explore this great city at your leisure. There are many ways you can do this – simply walk along the many streets, filled with beautiful plazas, churches, and monuments not to mention the bars! Or if you prefer you can take the hop on hop off bus which covers all the major points of interest. The group meets up at 12.30 pm and we head to Callejon de Hamel- an alleyway packed with colored art installations, quirky bars, Santeria figures and sculptures, created by local resident Salvador Gonzáles Escalona. Sundays are extra special at Callejon de Hammel, where local artists perform live Rumba music and dance, turning it into one big rumba street party. This will be another opportunity visit another authentic rumba place and mix with the locals and at the end we can all go to have lunch together. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to explore the city on your own. Tonight is a free evening and if there’s enough interest a group dinner will be organized. The Havana Dance team are also happy to advise you on other dining options. |
Day 4 to Day 8
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Make sure you have your dancing shoes ready because today we begin a week of dance classes which run 10.00 am to 12 pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; 10 am to 1 pm on Tuesday and Thursday. The afternoons are free so you can relax, go to the beach or explore the city. You can also take private classes to fast track your learning, we highly recommend while you are in Cuba. There is so much to see and do and the Havana Dance Team are there to make it easy for you. Dancing isn’t limited to classes. Each evening, you have the option of joining the group for dinner before embarking on a dance fest to some of the best local dance venues where you will experience live Cuban music at its absolute best and give you a chance to put your newly learned dance moves into practice. Alternatively you can do it on your own and the Havana Dance team can point you in the right direction. Friday night we celebrate our achievements and invite our dance partners out for dinner. Saying goodbye is always difficult but you leave knowing you have made friends for life. |
Day 9
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Today, we set out early to visit one of most visited sights in Cuba, Las Terrazas, located approximately 80 km west of Havana in the Pinar del Río Province. This is a 5,000 hectares of unspoiled countryside, complete with small lakes, waterfalls, sulphurous springs and the ruins of old coffee plantations. Here, we will visit a coffee plantation and have lunch at restaurant (included in the tour) You will have free time to swim in the crystal clear waters of the San Juan river, take a walk on of many walking trials, visit waterfalls or for those seeking a thrill you can try a canopy tour (zip-lining) through the tree-tops (optional activity). We will then head back to Havana late in the afternoon feeling truly inspired! |
Day 10
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Free day in Havana. At night we will meet to have our final dinner at one of the popular paladars in Havana and after dinner we will go out dancing. |
Day 11
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Today we farewell Cuba but take with us our wonderful memories of the places we’ve seen, people we’ve met and of course our new dance moves. Optional Extra: Airport transfer |
Havana
When you arrive in Havana you feel like you have stepped into a time warp, there are no fast food chains or amusement parks - what you get is 100% Cubano from the 900 plus landmarks to the cameo buses and vintage cars.
It will take you more than one trip to Havana to see all it has to offer.
There are an abundance of castles, cathedrals, museums and Plazas to see each one more beautiful than the next. In Habana Vieja (old Havana) you will find the Presidential Palace, Cathedral Square and Hemingway’s La Bodeguita del Medio. The cobblestone streets are lined with unique art galleries, buildings and Cuban women smoking cigars.
You will also find bars and restaurants on every corner with live bands to serenade you while you enjoy a cool drink and if the mood takes you, which it probably will, have a dance too.
In central Havana you will find one of Cuba’s oldest cigar factories, Tabacos Partagas as well as the Capitolio. The fort, El Morro, is always well worth a visit as the view from the top is nothing short of spectacular especially at sunset when the canons are fired.
If that’s not enough you have some of the best dance schools and companies based in Havana from ballet to Afro Cuban folkloric.
The waterfront of Havana known as el Malecon is stunning. During the day you can walk and walk admiring the architecture, parks, monuments and most of all, the ocean whilst taking advantage of cooling sea breezes. If you want to take a break you can grab a bite to eat and a drink along the way or even stop at the one of Cuba’s most beautiful hotels, Hotel Nacional. At night the balmy weather brings out the tourists and locals alike and you get a completely different experience. Now it’s the sound of music, laughter, singing and what you see are people dancing and having fun. The combination delights your senses and produces an energy that invigorates your soul. If you tire of walking there are always coco taxis to be found which are a cool way to get around.
If you haven’t already worked it out, Cuba’s love of music and dance is everywhere! You can dance whenever and wherever, from the many bars and restaurants along the streets to the nightclubs including Casa de la Musica where live Cuban bands play matinee sessions as well evening you can get your fill of the best Cuban music and dance to your hearts content. If you want to dance under the stars then head to1830 or Marina Hemingway. If you’re lucky you may even come across a street party and if you do, don’t be surprised if the locals ask you to join in. If Rumba is more your thing then go to Palenque, Callejon del jamel,Las vegas orPalacio de la rumba where you will be blown away by this very sensual dance.
Havana is a city not to be missed but beware you may not want to leave...
Las Terrazas
What is Included
- Airport pickup
- Welcome dinner and daily breakfast
- 10 night single accommodation with authentic home stay experiences
- 5 days of Cuban dance workshops in Havana (14 hours) with a pro-fessional dance partner assigned to you
- Walking /Orientation tour of Old Havana
- Tour of Havana in a Vintage Car
- A day trip to Las Terrazas (transportation, lunch, entrance included)
- Dance Instructors and Translator during dance workshops
- Experienced, English speaking guides and day to day support while in Cuba
What is Not Included
- International or internal flights
- Visa and passport fees
- Travel insurance
- Airport drop off, taxes and excess baggage charges unless specified
- Meals other than those specified in the Essential Tour In-formation
- Tips for you dance partner, tour staff and bus driver
- Travel insurance
- Optional activities and all personal expenses
Price per person: AUD 2950 plus EUR 385 Local Payment (to be paid on arrival, first day in Cuba)
To secure your place, you must pay a non-refundable deposit of $1,000 by the first week of June at the latest.
For more information, contact Sunay Akin.
Call (02) 8091 1669 Or contact us online.
Cuban Travel Info
Things you need to know before you go to Cuba
- Shoes suitable for walking around the streets
- Broad brimmed sun hat/sunglasses
- High factor sun cream
- Insect repellent/anti-mosquito spray
- Antiseptic cream in case of bites
- Elastoplasts for sore feet
- Aspirin/Nurofen for hangovers!
- Shampoo, soap, toothpaste and other toiletries (hard to obtain and expensive in Cuba)
- Condoms (local condoms are of low quality)
- Travel washing powder (although the hotel may provide a laundry service)
- Paper tissues/toilet paper
- Swimming costume essential/beach towel
- Money belt
- Money, plane ticket, full valid passport, visa
Useful Links
Some links you may find useful.
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(02) 8091 1669For Bookings & Enquiries
www.havanadance.com.au
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